If the Giants give Peyton Manning the same amount of time in the pocket it granted Tony Romo, it could be a long afternoon at MetLife Stadium for the home team. The Giants pass rush came alive in the fourth quarter but it was too little, too late. DE Jason Pierre-Paul admittedly had a “terrible” game and as he goes, so goes the Giants’ pressure, which is the linchpin of their defense. Denver scored 35 points in the second half vs. Baltimore so the defense will have to play for 60 minutes. Even sacks don’t guarantee victory, though. Manning was sacked three times by the Ravens but Denver still scored 49 points. And don’t look for many “cover sacks” by the Giants secondary with the status of top cornerback Prince Amukamara (concussion) uncertain.

Giants CB Terrell Thomas vs. Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker

The ex-Patriot has a team-high nine receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns vs. the Ravens. When it comes to slot receivers, it doesn’t get much better than the former Chargers and Dolphins castoff. His biggest gainer was for 15 yards, meaning he worked elusively underneath, running quick, precise routes. That’ll pose the ultimate challenge for Thomas, who is coming off the third ACL surgery on his right knee. He’ll have to make sharp cuts and stop-and-go moves repeatedly while chasing Welker, which will put a tremendous strain on his knee. Thomas played well vs. Dallas, finishing with seven tackles and one pass breakup. But Welker is on another level. If Thomas can hold his own against Welker, he can proclaim himself back.

Eli Manning vs. Peyton Manning

We know you’ve had enough of the pre-game Manning hype but the dual between the two elite quarterbacks will likely decide the game. Peyton is 0-2 vs. the Giants – winning 26-21 in 2006 at the Meadowlands and 38-14 in 2010 at Indianapolis while with the Colts. Peyton has torched the Giants secondary, completing 45 of 67 passes (67.2% completion) for 531 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Ouch. While Peyton is coming off an NFL-record tying seven-touchdown pass performance vs. the Ravens, Eli threw for 450 yards, the second-most in his career, and four touchdowns in a loss to Dallas. Problem was, he also had three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown and another deep in Giants territory.

THE NUMBER

12

That’s the number of consecutive regular-season victories for the Broncos over the past two seasons with Peyton Manning at the helm. Under Manning, the Broncos have posted a 14-3 regular-season mark.

Last season, Manning’s first in Denver, the Broncos lost in the divisional round of the playoffs when Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco hit Jacoby Jones on a game-tying 70-yard TD pass on a third-and-3 with 31 seconds remaining in regulation and no timeouts. Baltimore, the eventual Super Bowl champs, won 38-35 in double-overtime.

DID YOU KNOW …

Broncos coach John Fox, a former Giants assistant coach, ranks third among active NFL coaches with 101 overall victories over the course of his 12-year head coaching career. He has 95 regular-season wins and six postseason victories over that span, leading the Carolina Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2003.

Among active coaches, only New England’s Bill Belichick (147 victories) and Andy Reid (111 with both Philadelphia and Kansas City) have more overall wins than Fox over the past 12 seasons. Giants coach Tom Coughlin is fourth with 95 overall wins, including two Super Bowls, of course.